How to Have Primary Day Fun in NH: Political Junkies Only!

Are you more into "Meet the Press" and "ABC This Week" than "American Idol"? Do you LOVE arguing politics? Do you collect campaign paraphernalia? If you answer "yes" to one or more, and if you can; hightail it to New Hampshire this January 7! A carnival atmosphere prevails in the last hours of the last day in one of the last bastions of "retail" politics- and it may be the LAST time ever in 2008!

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Access to New Hampshire
• Interest in news, current events, politics.
• Warm clothes

1. "Mr. Green, I'm PAYING for this microphone!" Ronald Reagan, GOP debate in NH. New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation presidential primary day is political junky heaven.
   Any citizen can rub elbows with presidents, future presidents and presidential wanna-bes as well as national news anchors and media pundits.
   First stop is in the capital city of Concord - at New Hampshire's Political Library featuring thousands of campaign buttons and memorabilia from current and past elections. Catch the frenetic last minute energy in various candidate headquarters.
   Candidates and media celebrities are likely to be around - this correspondent spotted CNN's Paula Zahn in a Concord hotel on NH primary day '04.
   This is one of the best times to hunt for campaign collectibles, before the marginal candidates get "winnowed out".
2. Autographed poster. Our field trip for political geeks next winds its way south. Population-wise, Manchester, NH is over twice the size of Concord. This is where the action is, especially as the day wears on. It's home base of NH's veteran Channel 9 and is considered part of the valuable Boston media market.
   Primary objective is securing a victory party ticket for either the Republican or Democrat winner- who almost inevitably will be present. (At this writing it's an open race for both parties!) Visit headquarters early and ask. Tickets are usually free as long as you present yourself as an enthusiastic supporter. Runner-up candidates also have parties and if your loyalty is with one of them - by all means go. However, most of the media attention and fun will be in the winners' circles.
   Local hq's, restaurants and the streets themselves swarm with candidates and media types.
   Democratic strategist James Carville strode into a diner on '04 NH primary day. Oddly enough, Carville is married to conservative GOP pundit Mary Matalin. One of his cronies asked how he managed to sleep "with that wife of yours" - to which Carville offered up a bawdy reply.
   Dennis Kucinich made the rounds shaking hands and greeting everyone, including my party (didn't have the heart to tell him we were supporting our home state of MA's John Kerry!)
   I got on the local news one year running with Sen. Gary Hart and his entourage down a Manchester street- and I was interviewed in subsequent election years as a man-on-the-street by British and Dutch TV news teams.
   Some establishments have photos of various visiting candidates and in '04 local talk show host Howie Carr did his afternoon radio show from a restaurant.
3. Campaign buttons are plentiful at political events, as this young Californian demonstrates. The media spotlight and crowds attract a certain, shall we say, colorful element. Two costumed pink pigs drove around town - apparently a protest against meat consumption. A costumed Mallard Fillmore, of comic strip fame, boarded a bus to a '92 Bill Clinton rally - where I met and was photographed with George Stephanopoulos.
   Out-there fringe candidates such as the Hemp Lady, tire magnate Morry Taylor and Vermin Supreme - who wears an upside down boot as a hat - make their final pitches.
   The day reaches a crescendo with the evening victory parties, where journalists, pols and hangers-on converge. Al Gore autographed my '96 "Re-Elect Clinton-Gore" poster at his '00 NH primary victory party. (Bill Clinton signed it later when he campaigned in MA for a candidate for governor.) Media celebs appear in abundance - I've seen Tom Brokaw and Eleanor Clift, just to name a few.
   Vendors will also be around for your last minute campaign paraphernalia collecting needs!
   This may be the last hurrah of the traditional NH primary,as both parties are considering changing the system because a bunch of other states don't think Iowa and New Hampshire should be first (boo-hoo).

Tips & Warnings

• Parking is generally easy in Manchester with metered parking and nearby parking garages, although it tends to be a little trickier on congested primary day.
• You can check out some of NH's Political Library's collection online.
• For more campaign fun, check out How to Collect Presidential Campaign Buttons by George Sommers
• Primary Day in NH tends to be cold and there's almost always snow, so dress warmly, bring boots and prepare to trudge.
• This may be the LAST time NH gets to go first. Due to "frontloading" - a mad dash by states to get their primaries moved up earlier amd earlier this presidential year; there's a strong chance that the process may be completely revamped next time around.